We have a tradition in our house that on Christmas Eve, we order pizza for dinner and rent movies. We’ll have our oldest daughter, who is 18, home with us, as well as our 14 year old daughter and our five year old daughter. Because it’s Christmas Eve, we try to keep it light-hearted and cheerful. Doesn’t have to be comedy, necessarily, but, you know. In the past, as a family, we’ve enjoyed such movies as March of the Penguins, Ice Age, Garfield, Robots and Shrek II.
So, come on Dopers. Help me decide which videos to rent this Christmas Eve (we’ll be renting two or three), and tell me why you nominate the ones you do.
We’ve seen The Incredibles, and saw the latest Wallace and Gromit in the theaters. We own The Iron Giant on VHS. Maybe we’ll check out some of the older Wallace and Gromit films. I keep hearing about Whale Rider. It’s definitely in the running.
Ooooh, yes, get Whale Rider. Stunning visuals, great story.
Others I’d recommend: Elf. Funny and silly. Predictable story, and a wee bit crude (burping humor), but good for everyone. The 5-year-old will love it, but so will everyone else. Snow Dogs. Another ‘family movie’. Cute slobbery dogs, nice story. Chocolat, for after the little one nods off. Why? It’s got Johnny Depp in it, that’s why! The Princess Bride. Why? Because it’s The Princess Bride, that’s why! 'Nuff said. The Rookie, the Disney version with Dennis Quaid as a middle-aged guy trying to break into baseball as a pitcher. Good sports movie, cute kids, nice story.
Hubby and I were just speculating over the weekend on whether the little one is old enough to appreciate The Princess Bride yet. We were also wondering why we don’t own a copy of it, but that’s a topic for another thread!
Miyazake’s My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away are two of my favorites. I prefer the subtitled versions, but with a little one, the dubbed versions are fine, too. Spirited Away has some kind of intense moments, but my 5-year old nephew was okay with it.
You can get the special edition (anniversary?) version now - lots of great behind-the-scenes stuff. And not over-the-top pricey, either. IIRC, I got it for $15.
Yeah, I just read Ebert’s review of Whale Rider, and it seemed like it might be a little intense for the little one. Actually, we love The Santa Clause, and the little one hasn’t seen it yet. So that’s definitely a possibility.
My favorite Christmas movie of all time is “We’re No Angels” with Humphrey Bogart. It’s utterly charming. I’d also like to second (or third, or fourth) the suggestion for Princess Bride.
I’d recommend Elf too. It’s goofy-silly and a lot of fun. It was the first thing I ever saw Will Farrell in and I thought he was fantastic. My husband and I now have a Christmas movie tradition where we’ll watch Elf and Bad Santa as a double-feature every year.
I also love Whale Rider, Spirited Away and Babe 2: Pig In The City. The Secret of Roan Inish is a beautiful family movie.
If Duma is out on video by then, it’s an excellent film, as is Never Cry Wolf by the same director (Carroll Ballard).
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